Sweet Billet doux
by redjuly
Summary: Gojyo is not one to be infatuated with writing but ever since he found a tattered paper on his bed his mind has lingered upon it.[Warning: Shounenai in later chapters]
1. Fixation

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Saiyuki or any of the characters from said series.

**Warning**: Yaoi in later chapters.

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Ch 1: Fixation

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Sapphire and jade shone as pure colors in the water as it babbled across smooth stones on its way to Lake Moira.

… "The ancient lake was only newly exposed to earth's sky 163 years ago. A great battle between demons of fearful power unearthed it and the mystic stream which flows to fill it." She brushed her light blue hair out of her face, "and anyway, it's an old story but legend has it…" she glanced nervously at the annoyed looking priest, "um… maybe you'd just like to order? Ah-heh." She smiled despite of her slight fear and attempted a lighthearted laugh.

"Sake," blonde hair fell into his eyes as he bent over a map.

"Ah, okay," her voice was shaky but she kept her smile. The girl looked at Goku and the boy readily ordered nearly the whole menu. Hakkai was next and selected a small dish, Gojyo decided on sake just as the priest had.

Twenty minutes later the monkey was scarffing down mass amounts of food and the four adventurers were seated around a square table in the corner of the tiny restaurant.

"Sooooo… we're stuck?" his words came through a mouthful of meat bun.

"No stupid monkey, don't you listen?" for once Gojyo didn't look particularly annoyed but animosity was in his voice none the less.

"We're just going to have to take some time to figure out how to get through the mountains," said Hakkai. "I suppose we will be staying here about two days or so?" he looked at Sanzo.

The priest glanced up from the map he was still starring at, "most likely," his eyes shifted back to the paper.

"What about going around the mountains?" Goku actually said something semi-smart for once.

"Well that would be difficult," the blue haired waitress was refilling their drinks, "um, the mountain range runs about 300 miles and we're right in the middle. You would have to go very far out of your way to do such a thing." She was trying her best despite the group's unwillingness to be friendly.

Silence…

"And there are multiple complications with going 'over' the mountains as would be preferable," Hakkai finished explaining to the saru.

They had already been there a while; all were ill at ease and ready to move on. Even though it had only been the two days, Gojyo had found himself a following of lovely ladies and every restaurant had been adequately drained of supplies thanks to Goku's insatiable appetite.

It was getting late, "I'm turning in," Sanzo stood to leave… but stopped, "you're coming too." He grabbed Goku's shirt and pulled the youth from the table.

"Wah? Sanzo!" Goku protested.

"I want to sleep and I'm not giving you a key, it's now or never, your choice." Sanzo said it was Goku's decision but he kept a hold on the boy's shirt collar despite his words.

With flecks of grief in golden eyes the saru reluctantly allowed himself to be led away.

The redhead chuckled softly and sipped at his sake. Gojyo was in an extremely relaxed mood compared to his normal spasticity setting of ninety. He sighed and fingered a small folded piece of paper in his inside vest pocket looking thoughtfully out the window.

A palm was gently set on Gojyo's forehead, "Huh? Hakkai what are you doing?"

The brunette took his hand away, "I thought that you must be sick. I have not heard a decent peep from you all evening."

Gojyo smiled wryly and clasped the paper tightly between his fingers. "Yeah, guess I'm just out of it tonight." His gaze strayed to the window again.

"…um…" the blue-haired waitress stood next to their table, "… um if you are looking for a way through the mountain," she nervously thrust a card out, "he may be able to help..." she dropped the paper on the table when neither man moved to take it from her. A few nervous glances later she walked away leaving them in peace once more.

"No comment about her dress, no sultry speech. Are you sure you are okay?" Hakkai looked in earnest at his friend after pocketing the card.

"Hm?" Gojyo hadn't been paying attention.

A small worried smile touched the corners of the brunette's lips. "I think I will be going to bed as well," Hakkai stood. "Will you be coming?"

Gojyo glanced up, "hnnnn… later, yeah…" Taking another sip of his sake the redhead lit a cigarette and breathed deeply.

Hakkai sighed and rested a hand on the kappa's shoulder squeezing once he released it and walked away from the table.

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Hours later Gojyo still held his glass. He was slumped over the table with his hand cupped around the paper he had been grasping earlier. It was still folded, the corners curled up with obvious ware.

He had found it that way… Yesterday evening he had returned to his room and lay down a crumpling noise reaching his ears. He reached behind his head and pulled out a folded square of shabby paper… Opening it the words reached heart as his eyes read each line again… and again…

"sir…" blue hair framed tired eyes, "if you are not going to order anything else, won't you please come back **tomorrow**?"

Gojyo grunted and stood, placing the paper back in his vest with care he left the table and exited the restaurant.

It was extremely early in the morning and the air had gone to crisp and cold within the past hour.

"Gojyo-saaannnn!" giggling could be heard as two of the lady followers he had managed to pickup walked tipsily towards him.

The redhead barely bothered to take notice as they approached him.

"Gojyo… darling," a fair haired girl now hung from his left arm, "how are you tonight?" She smelled like cheap beer and sex.

The second woman moved in front of Gojyo and splayed a hand against his chest, "May, don't take the lovely all for yourself,"

Not particularly excited by their arrival the kappa moved into his own mind,_ '… maybe the lake…'_

"hmmmm…it's cold outside, why don't you come in and we can warm you up baby," the light haired woman ran a hand up his arm while at the same time giving her partner a smart smack on the bottom.

"Oh!" the second woman yelped with a start, "you devil you!"

'… _not wasting time in getting to the point tonight…'_ Gojyo mused over the situation then retreated back to the confines of his head.

They were both drunk beyond the point of true comprehension and when the light haired woman let go of Gojyo she nearly fell over.

"You are soooo sexy!" grabbing the second woman she kissed her hard.

Gojyo normally would have been all for it but tonight they seemed a rather bit more whorish than usual.

"Hmh," the redhead walked away leaving the ladies to their own devices, which seemed to be working out fine because they barely noticed his departure.

"Oh! Hah! You dirty dirty girl…" the voices faded behind him…

Gojyo wound his way through the small city and to the lake taking his time kicking rocks along the road.

The water reflected the night sky, a velvety purple flecked with iridescent pure lights. The redhead tromped lightly down to the water, mud squelching under his boots until he reached the dock. Old wooden beams creaked under Gojyo's heels and he took up a seated position with his feet in the water.

Reaching inside his vest pocket the kappa pulled out his true infatuation… a small crumpled piece of paper… opening it his lips silently read over the gracefully written words…

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A/N: … What do you think? I know my chapters are short but please forgive me TT.


	2. Mountains Swallow Souls

Ch 2: Mountains Swallow Souls

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"Gojyo… …Gojyo……Gojyo"

The last time the kappa's name was called it registered and his brain clicked awake. "Hnnn…" Bleary eyes met shining green ones.

Hakkai was smiling over the redhead, "Morning."

"nnn…" Gojyo rolled over… "don't be so damn cheery it's to early…" light snoring emanated from the sleepy kappa.

BAM!

"Gojyo!" a shorter brunette vaulted through the door and onto Gojyo's bed. "Wake up pervert!"

Shaking eagerly the larger man beneath him Goku jabbed every bony joint he could employ into the now painfully awake Gojyo.

"Errrraaagghhh!" the monkey was flung across the room.

"Ha ha! Sanzo! He's awake!" Goku bounced to standing then around the room on the balls of his energetic feet.

The blonde monk entered, "hmh, let's go then."

"Yeah!" bright golden eyes flickered before retreating out the door.

The minutes passed slowly as Gojyo blinked away the last of his sleep. "Hey Hakkai… I thought we were stuck here for a few more days …"

The brunette smiled, "turns out the girl from the restaurant had a good suggestion," Hakkai lifted the card from his pocket and flipped it in his fingers a few times. "The man on the card is one of the original workers from the local mine… which, lucky us happens to go straight through the mountains to the other side."

"Hnn… more of that auspicious fate we've somehow got our hands around eh?"

Sharp words came from the street outside through their window, "come on! Before I'm forced to shoot the both of you!"

Hakkai leaned out the window and waved once before disappearing back inside.

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"Well, yessir! I remember this place quite well," a short old man who carried a walking stick tapped a few times on the mines entrance with his poll. "Hah! Just how I left 'er," he was a smiley guy with a short and very white beard. Laugh lines the size of canyons ran across most of his face and a toothy grin could be seen nearly all the time.

"One could get lost in this place…" He breathed looking up with squinty eyes peering through leathery skin. "Whadda ya say laddies shall we enter her dark and rocky bowels?" He smacked Sanzo on the back… hard…

Big leather boots clunked noiselessly through the mine as the four turned five sauntered on through the dark.

"Hey gramps!" Goku piped up as he stubbed his toes for the eleventh time. "Why do we have to walk in the dark? Can't we have a torch or something?"

The old man chuckled, "why use what you don't need? Besides if we hit a pocket of methane while carrying one of those fire things we'll go boom real quick."

Hakkai's face was twitching a bit nervously, "methane?"

"Yeah we had a real problem with it back when they opened this place up, but I reckon it's mostly gone now, errrgh…" He scrambled up over a large boulder.

"Won't we suffocate…" Hakkai walked into the boulder. "Omph!"

"Only if you breathe. Now skedaddle up that rock and let's continue eh?" They could feel the old mans cheerful smile through the darkness and at least the littlest martyr enjoyed in it.

The time seemed to pass in an entirely different flow as they wandered through the blackness. A silence and musty stench surrounded them like an unruly cage.

"Hey," Goku tagged whoever it was that he felt walking next to him.

"What do you want you stupid monkey?" Gojyo's tongue lashed the words a bit more harshly than usual.

"Food… did you bring any?"

"Not for you, go bother Sanzo," the redhead tried to ricochet the incoming complaints onto one of his other comrades

… it didn't work…

Goku started to paw at Gojyo, "come on, you've got to have something. I'm sooo hungry breakfast was almost four hours ago!"

Gojyo shoved him off and kicked at the air. He was in no mood to sport with the monkey especially without the use of his eyes.

"Merh! Stupid pervert!" Goku latched onto the kappa and started groping in the dark for something to punch.

The two made quite a lot of noise but sight being as impossible as flight at the moment Sanzo could not very well shoot either of them.

Then Goku made a mistake… he crushed the paper through the kappa's vest…

WHAM!

"GET OFF OF ME!" Gojyo belted out each word as he threw the monkey into the mine wall with a crash.

Goku hit jagged rock hard and fell to his hands and knees coughing as he landed. "Shit… hhhnn… what the hell was that for Gojyo!"

"Quiet!" a hissed whisper came from the old man…

Somewhere deep in the mine the mountain was speaking… her dark depths growling like a roused animal…

The old man lit a torch…

Eyes dilated far too quickly and it hurt to keep them open.

Obvious horror in his voice he hollered, "TO THE SKITHERS!" His short legs moved unlike anyone would have expected.

"What the hell's a Skither!" Goku yelled as they booked it after the old man.

They ran… faster and faster… the rocks falling around them barely missing heads and feet. Following the light which seemed to be getting steadily further away as sturdy feet scampered on ahead.

A sharp pain shot through Sanzo's shoulder as a rock hit him from above, his legs stumbled but he kept running. "Old man! I hope you know where we are going because if we don't get out of here soon…"

The firelight disappeared and the four travelers came to a screeching stopped under an upward shaft. Daylight could be seen, a pinprick at the top of the tunnel.

"Ollioup!" The old man came barreling down from above, "Take 'old of the rope laddies!" he outstretched his arm and handed the end to Sanzo.

Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku grabbed onto the line and the old man climbed up it like a bug on a leaf.

The mountain rumbled threatening to crumble from beneath them…

"Hurry up old man!" The monk yelled as he heard the path they had just run down crumble away.

His hand whipped out a knife the size of his forearm and he chiseled with the strength and knowledge of his years. A filled mine cart fell away from its track.

The musty air rushed past their ears as they flew upwards.

"HOOOOYAAAHHHHH!" The old man was the last on the rope grabbing the end when it whipped past his face.

Gas from the chambers below swallowed their former standing space and the torch as well. A fiery blast belched from below threatening to consume their flesh.

Within twenty seconds of flight they were atop the mountain, bearded tour guide the only one left standing. Dust, fire, and rock roared from the shaft they had so recently been flung from as the mine collapsed.

"Whoo! Just like old times!" The old man whooped and did a little dance.

Hakkai scrambled to a standing position and checked over the other members of their traveling company for injuries. Everyone was fine, except for… "Gojyo are you alright?"

The redhead was twenty or so feet away trembling. He vaulted to his feet and away from Hakkai. Running towards the collapsed rocks his heart thumped hard against his chest. He reached the pile and began pawing through it, the hot rocks searing his palms. _'… where is it!..."_ the small paper fluttered down from his vest, it had been dislodged in the commotion but had not left his clothing. Gojyo swiped the note up and swallowed down his worry and fear.

"Are you alright?" Hakkai asked again not approaching the kappa this time.

Standing Gojyo turned, "I'm fine," his face was devoid of emotion but his mind was caught up in chaos.

The old man smiled and gave the group a thumbs up, "almost didn't make it out of that one di…" blood dripped from his neck and soaked his collar. With a grotesque sound his bearded head fell from his shoulders to the ground splattering Sanzo and Goku with flecks of crimson liquid.

"I say, lovely slice on that old chap Hoai," staring back at them was the reason no one went 'over' the mountains anymore.

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A/N: Tell me what you think please! Hope you liked this chapter well enough.


	3. Searing Wounds

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A/N: I know this seems like the story is veering off the path that has been set but I promise you it is all a part of the bigger picture.

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Ch 3: Searing Wounds

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"It's been so long since a human has appeared in these parts…" The demon called Hoai sauntered up beside the other abomination, his short black hair flickering around his face.

The second creature wore a hood attached at her neck but missing the cloak half of the garment, "mhmmm… and look… there are more."Underneath the cover were two shining black eyes starring out at the four men.

Goku's blood boiled with anger and self disgust…_ '… they killed him!... he saved us and they killed him!... if it wasn't for our argument… gramps would still be alive!...'_ He clenched his fists, "You bastards! You murdered him!"

A smooth dark laugh resonated from Hoai's lips, "so I did, but he should have thought about just how important his life was before he came up here so readily wasting it."

BLAM!

Sanzo fired a shot and it tore through the female's shoulder.

Hoai's face looked desperate, "Jodelle!" he reached for her… then stopped "…heh, just kidding…"

No blood spilled from the wound and no true reaction came from the hooded figure except for her downward gaze of inspection. "… foolish… simply… foolish…" Her talons ripped through the air sending fire towards Sanzo.

The heated blast swept past Goku's face the taste of brimstone following in its wake.

The monk rolled away and to his feet as flame engulfed his former seat. Switching his aim Sanzo fired three shots at Hoai hitting his target once before the female stood in his path.

"Time to play!" Skylinn rushed them.

One swing, two swings… Sanzo's feet danced across the ground as well as tired legs could. The monk was managing to dodge the onslaught from his right but with an injured shoulder he couldn't duck away from Hoai when the demon came in on his left.

Crack!

Blonde hair fluttered to the ground as Sanzo's head hit the earth.

"SANZO!" Goku lunged at Jodelle attacking with the ferocity of a boy enraged at the mistreatment of his teacher.

It seemed that the two youkai had the upper hand as Hakkai took on Hoai and Gojyo stood dumbfounded a little ways off. These demons were strong, not the strongest they had ever fought but none the less with Sanzo out of the game and the kappa not all there the situation took on a shade of panic.

"NYahhh!" Goku slammed a hit into the she-demons ribcage.

Skylinn doubled over but sprung quickly back when there was no pain. Toying with the monkey she struck him leaving a gash in his lip. Laughing silently she licked her fingers, the taste of life upon them.

Gojyo stood watching the scene as it unfolded as though he was not there at all. It wasn't like him to be entranced by battle but as the fight raged on he felt his heart beat with equal intensity. Each blow and every drop of blood seared itself profoundly in his eyes. The common action it had become he grasped the paper within his vest.

A screaming moan sounded and Hoai fell to the ground near Hakkai. Breathing heavily the Brunette slowly turned away from the body.

A pulse resounded over the mountain top and Goku was flung away from his battle with Jodelle.

Hood falling back it revealed silver hair and eyes of coal which sprang with hurried steps to the side of her companion. The youkai lifted Hoai's head into her arms and if she had been able to she would have shed tears. "MASTER!" she wailed into his hair as she held his limp body.

The scene was of victory and loss.

"Let's go," Sanzo said picking himself up. Sugar-blonde hair clumped together as blood ran down the side of his head. His shoulder was still wounded from the cave-in and he pressed a palm over it wincing from the pain.

The shortest of their group ran to the monk's side and gave a questioning gaze as his own lip bled from cut flesh. Sanzo reached down with his free hand and wiped away the blood before knocking Goku lightly on the side of the head.

Hakkai joined the two, "here," he reached out and placed his hands on the blondes wounds healing them enough so that they closed. The green eyed man turned to the monkey, "are you alright?"

"mhmm," Goku was still looking at Sanzo as though at any moment he would have to protect his master again.

"Yo…" Gojyo was next to them hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his lips.

Sanzo glared at the ignorant kappa but turned his back and started off in the direction of the next town. Goku gave no glance or attention of any sort to Gojyo and Hakkai only offered a wry smile of exhaustion as he passed the redhead.

"This isn't over monk!" an enraged voice boomed from behind them. "You killed him! You killed Hoai! My master! My lover! MY CREATOR!" She overtook them in seconds raining down a storm of fierce flames and intense heat from trained yet shaking hands.

The group sprang apart leaving each of the four members on a side of Jodelle. She was wild with insanity and picked her target quickly lunging at Gojyo raking her talons across a thrown up forearm.

Forced to fight the redhead produced his weapon and took a fighting stance. The youkai attacked again and again she was crazed and left many opportunities for Gojyo to at least try to wound her yet he was on the defensive his mind focusing on not letting the paper slip from his possession again.

Alas, the writing had a mind of its own and fell from his pocket once more. Gojyo snatched it up out of the air letting Jodelle rip deep into is bicep. The force of the blow knocked him off balance and sent him sprawling to the ground the words fluttering from his grasp once more.

Jodelle had caught on, "is that what is precious to you! Then I shall destroy it as well as you!"

Conjuring her fire magic she readied to char the paper black ash but Gojyo was not going to let anything happen to those lines. He sprang to his feet and did the first thing that came into his mind as sensible… he pushed Goku in front of his possession protecting it with a human shield.

Blam! Blam!

Two shots rang and the echo of cracking rock sounded. Jodelle's eye of coal fell from their places and hit the ground in shattered bits, her body turning to dust and settling back into the mountain from which it came.

Sanzo walked with anger and speed over to Gojyo who now placed the paper in his pants pocket.

A cold ring of steel pressed into the kappa's forehead as Sanzo wrapped his other arm around Goku… "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you where you stand!"

Gojyo only looked at the monk in mild thoughtfulness.

Click…

Sanzo cocked his gun…

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A/N: hmm…


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